Biomaterial Database

Unusual amyloid bodies in human liver. Ultrastructural and freeze-etching studies. 1977

N Livni, and A J Behar, and J S Lafair

An unusual presentation of amyloidosis in the liver is described in two patients with chronic pulmonary disease. Amyloid bodies, ranging from 3 to 20 microns in diameter and staining positive for Congo red, were found to be deposited between or within hepatocytes and, therefore, to be in a more direct spatial relationship to epithelial than to Kupffer or sinusoidal lining cells. The freeze-etching technique revealed that the average diameter of the amyloid fibrils was 15 nm and not 7 to 10 nm. This may be due to the fact that this technique avoids shrinkage artefacts which follow fixation and dehydration.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008297	Male		Males
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D005613	Freeze Etching	A replica technique in which cells are frozen to a very low temperature and cracked with a knife blade to expose the interior surfaces of the cells or cell membranes. The cracked cell surfaces are then freeze-dried to expose their constituents. The surfaces are now ready for shadowing to be viewed using an electron microscope. This method differs from freeze-fracturing in that no cryoprotectant is used and, thus, allows for the sublimation of water during the freeze-drying process to etch the surfaces.	Etching, Freeze
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly
D000686	Amyloidosis	A group of sporadic, familial and/or inherited, degenerative, and infectious disease processes, linked by the common theme of abnormal protein folding and deposition of AMYLOID. As the amyloid deposits enlarge they displace normal tissue structures, causing disruption of function. Various signs and symptoms depend on the location and size of the deposits.	Amyloidoses